Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) yesterday led the party’s first winter camp aimed to improve the international networks of young people from countries involved in the government’s New Southbound Policy.
The more than 20 participants in the two-day camp were mostly students from universities and high schools across Taiwan who hail from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, the party said.
The event included seminars held at the party’s headquarters in Taipei, along with outings to the Juming Museum (朱銘美術館) and the Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園), as well as other attractions in New Taipei City.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The New Southbound Policy aims to enhance cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and countries in south and southeast Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
“The government will continue to promote the New Southbound Policy and incorporate multilingual education into school curriculums to deepen our country’s cultural connections and diplomatic ties,” Lin said. “It is important to uphold the integrity of elections, which is a vital part of resilient democracies and the coexistence of diverse cultures.”
“Taiwan’s history is a mix of cultural backgrounds, and the DPP has always upheld multiculturalism as one of our main principles,” he added, welcoming additional young people from the region to join the DPP and to work with the party’s International Affairs Department.
Event participants could open additional opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges, DPP International Affairs Department deputy chief Hsieh Pei-fen (謝佩芬) said.
“We hope to cultivate their interests in diplomacy and, more importantly, to help them paint a clearer picture of who they are and what they can bring to our diplomacy and democracy,” she said.
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